Autocar Pits Porsche’s 911 C4S Against Cayenne Turbo

The setup seems simple enough. Porsche claims that the Cayenne GTs, with its 500 horsepower, twin-turbo V8 and eight speed tip-tronic automatic is as fast to 60 mph as their 911 Carrera 4S, about 4 seconds. Autocar decided that if that’s the case, how do both vehicles compare in performance.

To do this, Steve Sutcliffe would drive both the 911 and Cayenne around the Millbrook Circuit one after the other, and then compare lap times. Unlike an actual racing circuit, the one used for the test had gaps in the pavement and unbanked turns, giving it a real-world canyon like driving experience.

First up was the Carrera 4S which has a 385 horsepower flat six, 3,300 pound curb weight, and was equipped with the PDK transmission. Sutcliffe was amazed at how well the car changed directions. The result for his lap was 43.5 seconds.

However, Sutcliffe was so sure that the Cayenne could get within 3 seconds of the 911. The reason behind it was a simple one: the Cayenne weighs 1500 pounds more than the 911, not to mention has a higher center of gravity.

The result was astounding to say the least, the big, heavy SUV managed a lap time of 44.7 seconds around the Millbrook circuit, just 1.2 seconds slower than the 911 Carrera 4S. Throughout the lap, the car felt just as fast and actually rode better than the 911.

For those people hating on the Cayenne for not being a “true” Porsche should watch this video and rethink their opinion.